Cigarette vending machine



Oct; 30, 1934.

B. F. M COLLUM ET AL CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Eiied July 16. 1932 lZJ Z:

- 29 x 57 a &'l

2 SheetsSheet l .E Mi 001 1 UM ATTORNEYS.

1934- F. McCOLLUM ET AL 1,979,042

CI GAR'ETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed July 16. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. F: M? 0011; UM 62E. THOMAS Patented Get. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Benjamin F. McCollum and Charles E. Thomas,

. Dallas, Tex.

" Application July 16, 1932, Serial No. 622,988

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vending machines. The object of our invention is to provide a machine for vending cigarettes and other articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin control mechanism for operating cigarette machine.

A further object of our invention is to provide a vending machine which when a coin of predetermined size and shape is inserted it will deliver a cigarette.

A further object is the provision of a novel mechanism which prevents delivery of more than one cigarette at a time which mechanism may be, however, modified to deliver any predetermined number of cigarettes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coin slot which prevents the use of oversized slugs. A further object of the invention is to provide a vending machine with a novel mechanism which prevents use of under-sized slugs for operating the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the type described which will be relatively cheap to manufacture and assemble and which will be eificient in operation, simple yet durable in construction and in which the working parts will not easily get out of order. The above and other objects of the invention 1 will be clearly understood from a perusal of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the machine taken at 1-1, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of base showing manner of attachment to cabinet.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken at 33 of Figure 2, showing the mechanism of the machine.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken at 2-2, Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken thru cylinder conveyor and mechanical features of the machine.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the plunger and the spring.

Proceeding in accordance with the drawings wherein like parts bear like characters of reference, 1 indicates a ratchet designed to prevent turning except in one direction that being anticlockwise. Square locking slots formed in the ratchet 1 and placed opposite each other are so arranged as to receive locking stud 5 on the sliding bar 2 on each one half turn.

2 is a sliding bar cut with legs that fit over shaft 3 so as to hold same in a horizontal position behind ratchet 1. A groove or track 4 is so arranged 60 as to allow sliding bar 2 to move suificiently far in a horizontal plane to allow locking stud 5 to pass freely the locking point on ratchet. This stud is formed from a strip cut out from legs on the sliding bar 2.

6 is a spring placed in such a position as to readily bring sliding bar back into original position of locking engagement with ratchet 1 as shown in Figure 5. On sliding bar 2 is a lip 7 so turned as to form a groove to hold coin on one side while 70 8 is a strip so placed on side of coin slot 9 and having its upper end extending into slot 9 forming a groove or lip that holds the other side of coin and also acting as a guide for the coin. 10 is a plunger with a coil spring wound around it. There is a 35 knob 12 on the top side of the plunger. There is a coin slot 13 which opens into the coin chute 9. Slot 13 is located in plate 14 set on the top of cabinet 15.

The coin after being inserted and having slid down the chute 9 is held in place on sliding bar by lip formed at '7 and 8 as previously described. When plunger 10 is depressed, its lower end presses the inserted coin down past turned end on lip '7 and forces sliding bar 2 out of locking position, allowing ratchet l to turn. Ratchet 1 is stationary on shaft 3 which passes thru cylinder 16, Figure 6, and when knob 29 which is mounted on end of shaft 3 is operated it turns ratchet 1 and cylinder 16. When looking stud 5 is passed by spur on ratchet it will allow coin to drop into space 17.

It will be understood that on passing of locking stud 5 the ratchet is so designed that it cannot be turned in a clockwise direction as spur will stop against locking stud 5, held firmly by spring 6 which is in turn held in position by screw 18 and by embedding short end of the spring in wall of casing.

It will be noted that at all times a cigarette 190 will be in groove 19 and the cylinder 16 and ratchet 1 are so placed in relation to each other that at the time of delivery of cigarette the ratchet 1 will have traveled one half its circumference and there locked. Guide 20 allows only the cigarette in groove 19 to pass thereby eliminating the possibility of more than one cigarette being emitted at a time unless by the addition of more than one groove for each half turn of the ratchet. It is understood that the number of cigarettes to be regulated by the number of grooves in cylinder 16 and the number of locking points in the ratchet.

21 is so designed to guide cigarette into the groove 19 in the cylinder and forming top of coin space 17. 22 is so designed as to guide cigarette out into the apron formed by the base of the cabinet 23, the front of which is so designed as to allow cigarette to :be easily removed. This is done by beveling of rim 24 at front. Plunger 10 is so placed in groove 25 and spring chamber 28 so that in pressing plunger down end of plunger Will stop against sliding bar 2 after having pushed coin on down to turned end of hp '7 to position to unlock sliding bar 2. After pressure is released on plunger 10 it will return to its normal position due to spring 11 held in position by two washers 26 and 27. This assembly is held in place by spring chamber 28. Washer 26 is made :stationary on plunger while washer 27 is large enough for plunger to readily pass thru. .29 is knob for turning ratchet and cylinder and 30 is transparent glass window permitting inspection so that the. supply of cigarettes can be replenished when necessary or desirable. 31 is a hasp for locking top on. Hinge of top is on side opposite plunger not shown.

Plate 14 and top 15' are so cut to allow plunger 10. to work freely. Lock is indicated by 33. 34 designates outlet for cigarette. Side of cabinet 35 in Figure 3 is detachable, exposing mechanism. 36 designates circular cut out for ratchet. 37 indicates screws for detaching side. 38 designates screws for detaching bottom. 39 indicates cut for recovering money out of space 1'7. 40 indicates cigarette chamber.

The operation of the machine may be described as follows: a coin of predetermined size is placed in slot 13. It drops down groove 9 and on to the sliding bar 2 and is held in place by lip formed at 7 and 8, enough of coin extending above sliding bar 2 so that when plunger 10 is pushed down it pushes coin down to the turned end of lip 7 causing sliding bar 2 to be forced out of engagement with the ratchet. Knob 29 is then turned in anti-clockwise direction, locking stud passing over spurs on ratchet causing coin to fall into space 17. On completion of one half turn, cylinder passes lower tip of guide 20 cigarette being discharged thru outlet 34.

What we claim as new is:

In a device of the class described, a coin chute, a horizontal reciprocating slide, said slide having one end bifurcated, a shaft extending through said bifurcated end of said slide for guiding said slide, a locking lug on one side of said slide, a ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft and provided with a recess for receiving said locking lug, a lip on one side of said slide for supporting a coin, a vertical plunger for engaging a coin supported on said lip to release said locking lug from the recess on the ratchet wheel, and a one way pawl engaging the ratchet wheel.-

' BENJAMIN F. MCCOLLUM.

CHARLES E. THOMAS. 

